


Speaking for the Dead

by Icouldhavedroppedmycroissant



Category: The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (TV)
Genre: I mainly made this because it seems like the Dousan clan gets the least amount of love, Multi, alternate title: two gay stoners adopt a dousan princess, each chapter takes place during an episode of the show, which is a shame because I think they're the most fascinating clan
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-13
Updated: 2020-05-13
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:08:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24068617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Icouldhavedroppedmycroissant/pseuds/Icouldhavedroppedmycroissant
Summary: Neetra is the youngest daughter of Maudra Seethi of the Dousan Clan, with her older sister, Mudomi, being next in line for the title. She was always quite the adventurous and outgoing type, and loves to explore new places. One day, she decides to go to a place she's never gone: The Circle of the Suns. What she finds there completely changes what she thought she knew about the Skeksis. Bali is the adopted son of Maudra Fara of the Stonewood clan, and meets Neetra, and dreamfasts with her, changing what HE also thought he knew. Armil is a Sifa in training to become a soothsayer under Maudra Ethri, and receives a vision about an oncoming threat in the near future. All three of these gelfling become apart of the spark that ignites the Gelfling Resistance.
Relationships: more couples I will add on later, skekGra/urGoh (Dark Crystal)
Kudos: 1





	Speaking for the Dead

"To the great All, may the dead become one with Thra again. May we feal their tears in the rain and their warmth in the suns. Though they are gone, they remain with us still."

Those words always rung in Neetra's ears. It was an old Dousan prayer, and she's heard it since she was a childling. It meant that even if someone dies, they're never really gone, and they'll aways be apart of our lives, apart of our memories, apart of Thra. It was a very important saying to her, as well as to her entire clan, but she never knew just how important it was until the Age of Resistance...<

\----

Neetra was sitting by the window, smiling and enjoying the view of the vast Crystal Desert. She always enjoyed the natural beauty of the desert, and would sometimes stare at it for hours at a time. That is, until someone called her back to reality, which was the case in this scenario.

"Neetra!" Her older sister's voice snapped her out of her deep thought.

She sighed, and turned to face her sister. "Yes, Mudomi?"

"Rek'yr asked me to go fetch you! There's something important Mother wants to tell the both of us at the Wellspring!" Mudomi told her.

"Alright then, let's go," she said, standing up.

Neetra and Mudomi's mother was Maudra Seethi, the Maudra of the Dousan Clan. She was a wise leader, as well as a great mother. She was currently training Mudomi to bacome the next Maudra of the clan, which is why Mudomi is always so stressed, despite their mother's reassurements that she'll make a great Maudra. Neetra never really understood what was so hard about being the Maudra, but she always listened to Mudomi's ramblings about the diffferent duties she would have to perform, and realized there was more to being Maudra than just looking over your clan.

When Neetra and Mudomi got to the Wellspring, they saw their mother with Rek'yr. Neetra and Mudomi bowed in respect. "You called us here, mother?" Mudomi asked.

"Yes," Seethi began, "I am going to Sami Thicket for a day to discuss trade regulations between the Spriton and the Dousan with Maudra Mera, and I won't be back until tomorrow evening, so I have instructed Rek'yr to look after the both of you. I'm sorry this is on such short notice."

"It's alright, mother. We understand your duties of being Maudra are important," Neetra reassured her mother, "Mudomi and I will be fine under Rek'yr's protection."

"I'm glad to hear that. Well, I best be going on my way. I don't want to keep Maudra Mera waiting," Seethi said, "Goodbye, my daughters."

"Goodbye, mother!" Mudomi exclaimed, waving as their mother got on a crystal skimmer.

"We will see you tomorrow evening!" Neetra shouted as the crystal skimmer flew away.

They watched as the crystal skimmer got farther and farther, until it was just a speck in the distance.

\----

Later that day, Rek'yr was leading Neetra on a hike up the canyons. Mudomi had decided to stay behind so that she could study on Dousan traditions, apart of her training to become the future Maudra. Neetra always loved hiking up the canyons, because she always got to see the beautiful view of the Crystal Desert, with it's always-shifting sands. One had to use a crystal skimmer, which was sort of like a flying ray-like creature, to cross it, because to try to walk along the sand was like trying to walk on water. You had to be careful when hiking up the canyons, though, because if your foot steps in a wrong place, you will surely slip and fall into the sand. 

As Neetra was gazing out into the desert, she saw a building on top of the cavern leading to the Breath of Thra. She had pretty much seen all of the desert (and explored it, on that note), but she had never seen this building before.

"Hey, Rek'yr? What's that building on top of the cavern?" she asked, curiosity in her voice.

"That would be the Circle of the Suns. It is a cursed ruin, and you must never go there, Neetra." Rek'yr answered her, and kept walking.

Neetra could sense that this meant the conversasion was over, and followed him up the canyon. Still, she looked back at the Circle of the Suns, and couldn't help but wonder what was up there, or why Rek'yr said it was cursed...

\----

That night, while everyone was sleeping, Neetra crept out of their home, with a lantern in hand, and got on a crystal skimmer. She would have used her wings, had it not been so windy that night. The crystal skimmer lifted her up, and they were off. She was going to see exactly what the Circle of the Suns was all about, and if it was really cursed or not. 'If it really is cursed, then I'll curse my curiosity for getting the better of me!' she thought to herself as the skimmer lead her over the vast desert.

Finally, they reached the fabled ruin on top of the cavern, and Neetra got off of the skimmer. "I'll call for you if I need you again, okay?" she told the creature. The skimmer let out a wail, and flew away.

Neetra scanned the entrance of the ruin, debating whether or not to go in. At last, she mustered up the courage to step inside, pulling back the curtain of the entrance. What she found inside confused her a bit. Inside, there were several varying items scattered around, which was evidence that someone lived there. There were also some urdrupe berry bushes growing, which was a bit puzzling, for Neetra didn't think they grew at this height. 

Suddenly, she heard a noise. It sounded like someone moving around, meaning someone indeed DID live here.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" she called out into the darkness. 'What in Thra's name are you doing?!' she thought, 'Why are you leading the noise to you?!'

"Yes, someone is here!" she heard a voice shout, and someone walked down the ramp.

"Oh, well I'm terribly sorry! I didn't mean to enter your house without permission. You see, I was curious, and-" Neetra stopped when she saw exactly who this new person was. He wasn't just any old gelfling, or any other creature on Thra. He was a Skeksis!

"Welcome to the Circle of the Suns, gelfling! What brings you here on this cold night?" the Skeksis asked her, waving his arms around as he spoke.

"Well, I was curious about the ruin on top of the caverns, and I came here to explore, but I didn't know that a Lord of the Crystal lived here!" Neetra told him in an apologetic tone.

The Skeksis sighed, but then perked up again: "Ah, but I'm not a Lord of the Crystal! At least, not anymore! You see, once, I was known as skekGra the Conqueror, but the others cast me out and branded me... Heretic. So now, I'm skekGra the Heretic!"

Neetra was a bit confused. Why would the Skeksis cast one of their own out? What did he do for them to cast him out? But now was not the time for those questions, she needed to remember her manners and introduce herself.

"Oh, well my name is Neetra, and I'm the daughter of Maudra Seethi of the Dousan Clan," she told skekGra. 

"The Maudra's daughter? It's an honor!" skekGra did what Neetra assumed was supposed to be a bow.

After an awkward pause, she spoke again. "Do you live here alone?"

"Oh, yes! I am alone! So very alone," he paused for a moment, "Yet, I am also with myself!"

What? "I'm sorry, what do you mean by that?" Neetra asked, even more confused than before.

skekGra turned around and shouted up at the ramp. "UrGoh! Get down here! We have a guest!"

On the higher level, a hand pulled back a curtain, and there was a Mystic standing there. Neetra has always heard stories about Mystics, but she never thought that they actually existed.

'Won... der... ful." the Mystic said, speaking very slowly, and walking down the ramp, also at a slow pace.

"Uuuuuugh! You're so slow!" skekGra said, frustration in his voice.

"So..." urGoh spoke slowly to Neetra as he walked down the ramp at a snail-like pace, "What... brings... you... to... the... Circle... of... the... Suns... this... late... at... night?"

"Well, My name is Neetra, and I'm Maudra Seethi of the Dousan Clan's daughter. I noticed this ruin on top of the caverns, and I got curious, so I decided to sneak out tonight and check it out for myself! I didn't know anyone lived here, and I apologize for coming in without permission!" Neetra apologized once more.

"So you're not... here... to learn... the... secret... to... over... throw... ing... Skeksis... rule?" urGoh asked her, finally getting to the bottom of the ramp to Neetra and skekGra's level.

"Wait, why would I ever want to overthrow Skeksis rule?" she asked, gaining more and more questions as she interacts with these two.

"Of course she isn't here for that! She doesn't have Lore with her!" skekGra told his companion.

"What on Thra is a Lore?" Neetra asked, finding it ridiculous that she was getting questions and no answers.

skekGra paused and turned to her. "Nevermind that. The reason why urGoh here said all that stuff about overthrowing Skeksis rule is because it's a corrupt rule. You see, the Skeksis have abused the power of the Crystal of Truth, the very one they swore to protect, and they're trying to use the power to make themselves immortal! Because of that, Thra is dying, and someone needs to stop the Skeksis and make the crystal whole again!"

Neetra processed everything that skekGra just told her. The Skeksis are abusing the power of the crystal to make themselves immortal? And because of this, Thra is dying? Was this true? It must be, since a Skeksis told her this information.

"What can I do to help?" she asked, desperate to save her planet and her people.

"You must... go... to... Ha'rar... and warn... the... All-Maudra... of this threat," urGoh said.

"Ugh! They should call you urGoh the Slow! Anyway, yes, gelfling! Go to Ha'rar! Warn the All-Maudra of the Skeksis crimes!" skekGra told her.

Neetra was happy that she could help, but still had one question on her mind.

"You still haven't told me what a Lore is," she said.

'Oh yeah! I almost forgot!" skekGra snapped his fingers, "Lore is a creature made of rocks that we created and hid under the throneroom in Ha'rar, so that whoever finds it will be instructed to go to the Circle of the Suns to learn the secret to overthrowing Skeksis rule. We even have a puppet show about it!"

"So I guess I should find Lore then?" Neetra asked, this being her final question.

"Actually, no. urGoh and I have eaten so many urdrupe berries that we were able to see into the future, and we predicted that the youngest Vapran princess would find him," skekGra said, pointing to the urdrupe berry bush.

Neetra knew exactly who that was. "Oh, Brea! She's my friend! So she'll be apart of this as well!" she exclaimed, "Well, I best be going on my way to Ha'rar then. Goodbye, skekGra! Goodbye, urGoh! I promise I'll be able to help put an end to Skeksis rule!"

"Goodbye, young gelfling!" skekGra waved goodbye.

"Good... bye... Neetra," urGoh waved goodbye as well.

Neetra whistled, and the crystal skimmer came back. She got on it, and they departed from the Circle of the Suns. As they flew over the desert, Neetra thought of something. Before she left on her quest, she would have to say goodbye to everyone, but in a way where she won't get in trouble for trying to end Skeksis rule. 'I know!' she thought, 'I'll write a letter!'

\----

The crystal skimmer led her back home, and she got off. "Wait right here, I'll be right back," she told the creature. The skimmer let out a soft hum as she snuck back into her home, making sure not to wake anyone. After a bit of searching, she found some paper and a quill and ink, and began to write. Literacy was quite rare amongst gelfling, but she was lucky Brea taught her how to read and write.

"Dear Mother, Mudomi, and whoever is reading this," she started, "I am going to Ha'rar to warn the All-Maudra of an oncoming threat, and I do not know when I will return. I hope you all understand, and know that I love you. Sincerely, Neetra."

After she finished writing her letter, she placed it on her bed, and packed some things she would need while traveling, such as food and extra changes of clothes. She looked in her closet, and pulled out a sword that Rek'yr had given her. 'I'll need to protect myself if anything or anyone tries to attack me,' she thought to herself. At last, she was ready to depart. She snuck back out of her home, looking back one last time before she got on the crystal skimmer and departed.


End file.
